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Topic: homebrew turning black (Read 6857 times)

I recently made a pale ale and made a belgian pale ale a couple of years ago. For both, I stored the carboy in my basement. Both seemed to be doing fine, but suddenly turned black (no black malts used). I think it has something to do with where I'm storing it: I split half of the wort for the Belgian Pale with a friend, who took his carboy to his place and his half turned out fine. Any ideas what's going on?

I recently made a pale ale and made a belgian pale ale a couple of years ago. For both, I stored the carboy in my basement. Both seemed to be doing fine, but suddenly turned black (no black malts used). I think it has something to do with where I'm storing it: I split half of the wort for the Belgian Pale with a friend, who took his carboy to his place and his half turned out fine. Any ideas what's going on?

I'm thinking it is a typo and he meant a couple weeks ago but wanted to make sure. As was mentioned, yeast dropping out of suspension can make the beer appear darker than it really is, but if you age a beer for years it will get dark because of oxidation. Obviously pale ales need not be aged more than a couple of weeks/months at the most.

ha- sorry: it was brewed a couple of years ago, but I don't still have it. It turned black after a couple of days and I dumped it after a couple of weeks when it didn't look any better. The other half of the same batch (the one that my friend took with him) did not turn this black color, which is what makes me think it's environmental.

The current beer is still just as dark, even when looking at a sample. It looks like a stout, not a pale ale. I don't think it's the yeast dropping out.

I see, two different beers brewed separately at different times. I've been brewing for going on 17 years now and I have never seen anything like this. When you are looking at a sample is this in the hydrometer flask? Should not be turning dark, like pitch black. It will appear to darken in bulk, as was mentioned. Sometimes surprisingly so. But when you pour a sample it should not be stout colored.

I had a Saison left on the yeast for months turn from straw-colored to what can be comparatively considered "black". While the brew did not stink it was quite reminiscent of soy-sauce and was very unpleasant. A dumper.

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I had a Saison left on the yeast for months turn from straw-colored to what can be comparatively considered "black". While the brew did not stink it was quite reminiscent of soy-sauce and was very unpleasant. A dumper.

Well, I've never seen it personally but there is an eyewitness account of what could be the problem.

Lots of times my beers in the basement have turned black. It bothered me until I figured to turn on the light.

Honestly I have never heard of beer turning black, and I have several glass carboys of stuff thats been sitting for as long as two years. Either you have a weird bacterial contamination or someone is jacking with your brew. Or maybe it just looks dark in a darkened setting, and its clearing better than your buddy's since its in a cool quiet basement?